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Breastfeeding

Feeding Baby is one of the biggest and most time-consuming early challenges, whether you are breast- or bottlefeeding. For the best results, you need a flexible, even novel, approach. so bear these principles in mind, no matter what you have been told. (Read more in the milk-feeding section of this guide.)

•Avoid drugs in labour so that Baby is not too sleepy to latch correctly.

•Nurse as soon as possible after birth to establish innate reflexes.

•Room in with Baby to avoid unwanted supplement feeds.

•Ensure correct latching onto the breast – check the Day One Tips.

•Do not breastfeed according to a schedule.

•Know that after three months nursing becomes progressively quicker and easier.

•Always be comfortable when feeding – see nursing positions in the milk-feeding section.

•Drink water, herbal or rooibos tea whenever thirsty.

•Place a cabbage leaf that has been blanched in boiling water for a few seconds, over your breast for two hours if you have pain, lumps or redness.

•Restrict dairy and wheat in your diet if nursing.

•Use homeopathic remedies for windiness and colic, like ColicCare and Chamomilla Tablets – if you choose the correct one, the results are usually very satisfactory.

•Remember that breastfeeding your baby is not just a physical task and that it affords you both a unique opportunity to be close and grow in understanding of one another.

Formula feeding

If you choose this option from birth, do all you can to inform yourself about the various formula milks on the market, as well as feeding accessories, in order to have as good an experience as possible. Take these hints into account and read more in the milk-feeding section of this guide:

•Preferably do not feed according to a schedule but take the baby’s individual appetite into account, using the suggested amounts and feeding times on the can as a guideline rather than a rigid rule.

•Remember, it may take a while to settle on a new formula, so don’t change too soon.

•If allergies are prevalent in the family or your baby has a special problem like gastric reflux, choose a specially modified formula, despite cost.

•Preferably use orthodontic teats for best possible jaw structure development.

•Choose a small teat for newborns to prevent gagging.

•Always cradle Baby in your arms when feeding, for emotional nurturing.

•Do not lie your baby flat when giving a feed – milk might run into the Eustachian tube to the ear from the back of the throat causing irritation and possible ear infection.

•Prepare formula with slightly cooled, boiled water to promote easier digestibility.

Weight gain in babies

Initially there is a drop of five to ten percent in weight. Babies then pick up between 150 and 250 g per week, depending on heredity, health, type of milk and how well you both have adjusted to feeding. Breast babies often pick up more rapidly in initial months, only to slow down later. Formula babies might gain steadily, or more slowly at first and more rapidly later. If Baby is thriving, do not be too concerned with rate of weight gain. Birth weight doubles by about the fifth month.